Search form

Leigh Ann Winnard

Blog Post List

When my son Matthew was sickened with E. coli O157:H7 in 2002, Phil stayed by his bed and helped me to cope with watching my young child suffer through a devastating illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). I remember being scared because I knew that people were dying in that outbreak, and my little boy was so sick that he could not stand or even sit by himself. Today, Matthew has graduated from high school and is ready to leave for college, but sadly, Phil did not live to celebrate with us. Phil’s untimely death one year ago was a blow to both Matthew and me, as well as for many...

A year in which Americans have seen a number of contaminated food recalls can close out on a high note if the U.S. Senate passes landmark food-safety legislation tonight . As it stands, the nation’s food-safety system is broken. The legislation, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510), would update federal oversight so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has first-time authority to mandate a recall of contaminated food and require more frequent inspections of food processing facilities. With more stringent food-safety standards, fewer children will have to suffer from foodborne...

When you’re a mom and your child gets seriously ill, it breaks your heart. It makes you mad when you learn that more could have been done to prevent your child’s illness. It makes you determined that no one’s child should be put at risk unnecessarily when provided a basic need for survival – food. My now 16-year-old son Matthew contracted an E. coli O157:H7 infection and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 2002. His illness was linked to a recalled food. That’s why my family supports strong food safety legislation currently being considered in Congress. Before my son got sick, I believed that...